A Tale of Cats and Dogs
by HelikaAkileh
Summary: His half brother was unfazed again but answered him simply, "Dirty. Blooded. Mutt." "How does that matter? You call me weak because I'm half human! You always hated humans, but you-But you take along that human girl yourself!" InuxKag


Hello again lovelies! As a matter of fact, summer has _not_ killed me.

I'm upset now for more than one reason... my friend's gone (boo!) and there was a mishap with ordering books online for my school which starts in about 20 days. It miffs me so. I hate ordering things online! Doing it in person is a lot less stressful for me. You don't have to worry about typos and e-mail confirmations... you just go, do it, done! Sigh, but anyways... this this popped up in my head before I went to take a shower a few nights ago- brilliant time to get inspired.

A Tale of Dogs and Cats

He barked, "I could've handled it without you!" His sword was still low to the ground, menacing, waiting...

A stoic figured loomed to stare at the angry boy with a wild temper to match his accusing face. He paid no mind. "You can certainly think what you want to, _little brother,_" he mocked.

Years of being treated like pure _shit._ Why? Inuyasha was a hanyou, a _dirty. half. breed. _Had he not, after countless years proven himself? He had fought and defeated every sniveling youkai who dared block his path. He battled with Sesshomaru and _survived,_ even sent the worthless pile of nothing packing! He had the nerve to still insult him! '_That's fucking it!_'

"What the _fuck_ makes you so much better than me huh?!" Inuyasha roared.

His half brother was unfazed again but answered him simply, "Dirty. Blooded. Mutt." His back was turned and walking towards his two headed youkai and company.

"How does that matter?" the younger brother insisted, snarling and raising his shoulders tensely. "You call me weak because I'm half human! You always hated humans, but you-" His head sank before sharply rising to declare, "But you take along that _human_ girl yourself!"

While that certainly got Sesshomaru's attention he only stopped walking and turned with a raised brow.

Inuyasha was still in a rage, "So tell me now, how are you any better than me?!"

An amused stare from one, a vicious glare from the other.

Kagome, faithful companion to the hanyou could only bite her lip with her slack grip on her bow. Brown eyes were staring helplessly with worry. Inuyasha was getting way too worked up! Yet, this was a quarrel between brothers and she couldn't interject unless emergency called. A flare of her pride _for_ Inuyasha had swelled within her. He had to win... he had to win this for himself.

But if he was kicked again into the dirt, she would not abandon him.

On the other side of the field big brown eyes to mirror the hanyou's girl were shining in innocence. Rin also stared at her master, feeling like it was nothing but useless fighting going on.

Two brothers fought the same demon. Sesshomaru for the fact that the pathetically doomed creature decided to abduct Rin while searching for food. After a run in with Kagome and Inuyasha (traveling alone for some reason unbeknownst to her), Kagome had braved her arrows in an attempt to save the girl herself. Now, Inuyasha hadn't really wanted to bother with the mess _until_ the creep decided two girls are better than one!

Sesshomaru (along with the annoyed toad) showed up in the middle of their battle to end it... relatively quickly.

Rin, without a scratch on her simply ran to Ah-Un and sang praise to how magnificently her youkai lord had battled (only to be mimicked by the imp). Kagome, also pretty unharmed, had kind of backed off from the fight on Sesshomaru's arrival a bit startled.

Back to the argument on hand, the Western Lord had yet to answer Inuyasha's demanding question.

"Well, give me an answer!" An impatient hanyou cried.

"Company," he stated.

"Company? What crap are you spewing now?"

His sharp eyes settled on the young miko- an action a certain red clad boy just did _not_ like.

"What _about _her?" He growled. "I don't exactly call your little follower a better choice."

'_For fighting,'_ Kagome thought. It was no insult to her nor Rin, just an unanswered question.

Only the youkai's golden eyes spoke, but barely. "That is _precisely _how we differ." Without a response he continued. "The human girl decided to follow _me_. It was _her_ choice. From what I know, _you_ seem to impose your needs to the miko."

"Say what?!"

"Unlike you, they _chose_ to follow me. Aside from that, I _don't_ need them like you do. The monk, taijiya, and even that _girl_ of yours," he drawled (the comment made Kagome blush quite a bit) "You fight alongside them. I don't need anyone."

The elder brother turned once again and headed back towards his group, completely intending to walk past them knowing they would follow as they always would.

"What about the girl...?" Inuyasha asked slowly. He knew that yes, at first he kept Kagome out of need for her shard detecting abilities, but that was too long ago a reason and now a simple excuse. What was his? Why did he let Rin follow? How was she important?

"I don't need her." Sesshomaru said. Rin blinked and stared at Inuyasha.

_'Of course he doesn't need me. It is I who chose to stay with him. He who saved my life, my lord.' _Unknowingly, she would warm his so cold heart and in return he would save her again and again. Not because she was of much use, not as an asset or a friend: as her savior, while she was nothing but a girl. She held no sadness towards that. She would follow forever, her love not unnoticed, not necessarily unreturned.

There was a difference with Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, Rin's childish mind would note. Inuyasha needed Kagome, needed his friends. Her lord needed no one, not Jaken, not her.

Kagome and Rin were the weakness, and the strength, the annoyance, the relief. Kagome was Inuyasha's light and she would supply him with the love he needed so much.

The difference was, Sesshomaru- with Rin and Jaken to accompany him- still had no friends, no child, no sibling, no lover. They were loyal followers. If he cherished them, it was simply for that.

"Who says I _need_ anyone?" Inuyasha's pride ground out.

"Fool!" Jaken spoke up. "Was it not the priestess who undid the seal to which you were held under for fifty years? By another miko no less!"

He received a glare from both brothers and backed down.

"So that's it huh?" Inuyasha asked darkly. He his eyes behind bangs, unable to say anything else.

"That is all."

As she knew he would, Sesshomaru passed by. Rin, with a question ignored Jaken's reverence as to speaking out. "My lord, may I follow?"

"You do as you wish."

With a wave, Rin looked back towards the couple, a smile adorning her face as she looked to Kagome hoping she understood. '_We may be the same, but they are different_.'

...

Kagome looked on, taking a careful step towards Inuyasha. With shoulders slumped, he stood there.

He _needed_ people? Since when?

In his brother's eyes, this need made him weak. Kagome... how much did he need her, huh? Jewel shards... right. He couldn't do that and she could. In anger of something he couldn't help he growled at how it wasn't his fault. His brother was heartless but- that's why he was stronger.

Without noticing her approach, he felt a warm and unsure hand on his left shoulder. Instantly his hold on Tetsusaiga lightened. Then he cursed himself for proving his weakness and flinched.

Kagome pulled her hand away and he regretted the motion. '_Dammit she _does_ make me weak!' _He cursed in his head. "Fuck," and out loud.

Kagome pursed her lips. "I-Inuyasha, don't listen to Sesshomaru."

"Why the hell not? Bastard's right."

She shook her head, paused and frowned a little. "Well, I guess he's sort of right."

Great, Kagome even thought he was a wimp.

As if sensing his depressing thoughts she quickly placed her hand back on his shoulder and made sure he turned to her. "Well, he's right in saying that you two are different. You guys are like cats and dogs!" He gave her a stare. "Er, two... dogs..." she corrected awkwardly, blushing slightly at the slip up.

"I just don't get it," he slumped. "How does he, with that little girl, think having you around is any different?" He looked the the ground and thought bitterly, '_At least the girl _I _chose can _do_ something- and doesn't make me a pedophile.'_

"It's Sesshomaru. He was born thinking that humans were weak. I mean," her voice softened, "that's probably what he was taught all his life. Your father fell in love with your mother and passed away... maybe it's just what he learned."

"Doesn't make him any less of a prick," Inuyasha muttered earning a little bit of a laugh from the girl. He replied, a bit unintentionally, with a small smirk.

"See," Kagome said through a stifled giggle, "It's not all bad being different from him is it?"

With a bit of a heave, he sheathed his sword and looked down at her. "Guess not."

"Good," she replied with a curt smile before taking his hand, "Because I wouldn't want you any other way."

No, it wasn't too bad being different from the heartless statue. There _was_ a difference.

Maybe he could take advantage of this _weakness_ thing. Hell yeah he could... Feigning pain on his... hm, abdomen? Arm? Shoulder? "Damn youkai, hit my back," he decided, hunching over slightly.

With sincere concern Kagome stared at him worried. "Oh, are you okay?"

A pretend wince. This was actually a little fun. "Yeah, how about you?"

"Oh it's nothing! I'm perfectly fine!" She fussed over him and wrapped one arm around his waist and letting him do the same, she stayed as close as possible to help him shift his weight. "We better head back to meet up with the others."

Others. Yeah okay, he could admit he _liked_ having the rest of the group around. Yeah, yeah. Stupid brother, making him feel like crap, but then again... he peered down at the girl.

Something warm sprouted in him and his mouth nearly, and only _nearly_ cracked into a smile at the sight of her.

Sesshomaru, who didn't need a person in the world wouldn't ever have this feeling...

He did need her. They fought like... cats and dogs- he wanted to laugh at her face when she had said that earlier- but he wouldn't be able to stand the world without her. She was the only one to push his buttons, who could "sit" him _without_ saying a word, who could make him calmer just by smelling the way she did, knock him outta his insanity when demon blood prevailed, and after feeling like _shit_ because of his horrible monster of a brother she was the _only_ one who could make him smile again, pretend to be hurt, just to get her really close. Worked too.

Who gave a damn what his dead beat brother thought? Certainly not Kagome.

"If you don't get better soon, I think we'll have to camp out alone tonight."

With a little wince he slowed down slightly.

She was the only one who could make him do that, and while he never liked the feeling of weakness, he wanted every annoying emotion that came with it. Above all, he wanted, _needed_ the only girl who could conjure up such feelings. He needed her love and what made him different was that he liked it.


End file.
